UIC Lab Ready to Test Illinois Marijuana for Safety, Potency

Another important element is falling into place for Illinois residents to begin using medical marijuana: A University of Illinois at Chicago lab has obtained state approval to conduct safety and potency testing.

Though a second approved Chicago-area lab has lost its funding because of the pilot program’s low patient count, UIC lab director Karl Larsen said Tuesday his lab is ready to start testing marijuana samples for harmful substances on the plants as well as drug potency.

The lab until now has focused on testing racehorses for performance-enhancing drugs, and Larsen hopes revenue from marijuana testing will make up for a decline in lab fees from horse racing in the state, he said.